


A Knight's Destiny

by Igneel



Series: A Knight's Destiny [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Eventual Romance, F/M, Non-Canon Relationship, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-10-13 08:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10510527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Igneel/pseuds/Igneel
Summary: With the disappearance of his father and the untimely death of his mother, Noah Luster finds himself an orphan. An old man named Makarov Dreyar takes him into his guild, and Noah makes a name for himself over the years. 12 years later, he is now an S-Class wizard. One day, he and his friends Natsu and Happy unintentionally recruit a new member - one he finds himself slowly falling for.





	1. A Father's Departure and a New Recruit

**Author's Note:**

> Noah, Natsu, and Happy meet Lucy in Hargeon and take on an impostor.

Magnolia, Fiore. Year X771

Callum Luster tilted his head up towards the sun that was shining down on Magnolia. The rays warmed his cheeks and he felt himself beginning to sweat. The summer heat was merciless today, without a single cloud in the sky or a breeze to be felt. Perhaps he should have shaved before he left on this mission of his, he thought to himself as he hitched his knapsack further up his shoulder.

“Come back soon, Cal.” A voice said from behind him. It was a soft sound, as sweet as honey, but one that could spit fire and obscenities as well. He had heard the latter numerous times. It was the voice of his wife, a voice he would sincerely miss. He turned to take her in one last time: long honey blonde hair to match the sweetness of her voice, a blue sundress that fell loosely around her hips, her tender brown eyes and a sheen of sweat covering her tanned skin. How had he convinced this woman to marry him? He tried to commit every detail to memory in that instant.

“I won’t be long, Olivia.” He replied, moving closer to her and cradling her face in his hands. A delicate hand covered one of his own as he touched his forehead to hers. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but felt that if he did he would not physically be able to leave. She must have thought the same, because she made no move to kiss him either. She sighed against his lips but did not close the distance. The kiss he was craving and dreading never came.

It was then that he heard the small pounding of footsteps walking down the stone path from their modest home. Callum looked up to see his son, seven years old now, bringing him his sword. It was heavy for the young boy, but he persevered until he was standing a few feet from his beloved role model and father. The brown haired boy refused to look up at Callum as he delivered the weapon. The child wore a stern expression, but his father could hear small sniffles coming from the boy.

The child held out the sword, and his father took it gratefully. A few silent moments passed before the boy could no longer stand it and charged the rest of the way towards his father. He hugged him around his waist and let the tears flow freely now, his tough façade shattered in a mere instant.

“Dad… please come home safe.” The boy cried. Callum kneeled down to be eye level with his son and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Tears of his own threatened to spill over as he felt his son’s cries shake his body.

“Hey now, don’t cry, Noah.” Callum said, soothingly. The boy only shook harder. “What does a knight do when he’s faced with a powerful enemy?” He urged the boy.

Noah pulled away from his father and attempted to wipe his tears away. Streaks of dirt replaced the tears; he had always been such a messy kid.  “He fights.” The boy replied, standing up straighter.

“And what does a knight do when they feel like giving up?” Callum questioned.

The boy smirked slightly. “He fights.”

“And what does a knight do when they’re feeling sad and alone? When they feel like the entire world is against them?” Callum urged, gently wiping the dirt from his young son’s cheeks. The boy would need a bath tonight. Olivia would cook dinner while his son reluctantly bathed. On a normal day, Callum would come home from the Rune Knight’s headquarters and try to get in some alone time with his beautiful and adoring wife. Noah would interrupt them and challenge him to a wrestling match.

A single tear rolled down the boy’s face, bringing Callum back to the present moment. “He fights.”

“Keep fighting, Noah. Don’t ever stop.” Callum said as he stood up and ruffled the boy’s dark hair. He turned his back on his family, and the young boy focused on that back as the figure disappeared down the dirt road. Callum let his own tears fall as he walked away from his cherished family.

Callum Luster was never seen or heard from again.

* * *

 

13 years later

Year X784

Caro, Fiore

“Keep fighting, Noah!” A female voice shouted in the distance. Noah groaned as he stood back up, leaning against the stone wall behind him for support.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice… ” Noah spoke to no one. His head was throbbing and his bones were aching from taking that hit. He reached down and picked up his sword before charging back into the hoard of lizardmen.

“Requip!” At his command, his usual set of lightweight armor was replaced with his Nightfall armor; pitch black armor that was forged for the purpose of taking on monstrous beings such as these.

The hoard wasn’t the problem; it was the hoard’s leader. Noah had never seen a lizardman of this size before. Its skin was surprisingly resilient, and his strength was not to be underestimated, as Noah just had.

Realizing that his average sword couldn’t even scratch the beast, he summoned forth one of his more unique blades. The sword obediently appeared in his right hand, replacing his previous blade, and immediately burst into flames.

The magical sword of fire: Brightroar.

“Now we’re talkin’!” Cana yelled as she set her sights on clearing a path for him. Explosions erupted from the cards she threw, spreading the creatures out and creating an opening. The leader was easy to find among the rest, and the path led straight toward him.

“Speed of Light!” Noah yelled out the command for one of his light spells. He became nothing but a bright blur as he sped towards his target at a godly speed. He slashed through the leader with his Brightroar backed by incredible momentum. With one hit from his flaming weapon, the beast was down for the count.

As the creature went down, Cana had finished off most of the hoard. The ones that they didn’t manage to defeat had run away after seeing their leader fall.

“How in the hell do Lizardmen even get that big?” Noah pondered aloud as he requipped back into his casual clothes. He brought a hand to his ear, suddenly feeling a searing pain he must have blocked out before. His hand came back bloody. _Damn lizardmen._

Cana shrugged. “I don’t know steroids? Anyways, I find it convenient that that thing was left out of the job description. This job was worth more than 100,000 jewel.”

 _She has a point there_ , Noah thought to himself. Either way, the village was saved and they would be rewarded. The townsfolk may have conveniently left out an important aspect of the mission, but judging by the economic state of this small village, Noah couldn’t really blame them. He had not even heard of this town before they took the job request.

“It’s probably all the village had. This place is in bad shape.” Noah replied, gesturing towards the abandoned businesses and fragmented roads that surrounded them. A child’s stuffed animal toy could be seen ominously deserted on the beaten down path next to him, as if the villagers had fled in a hurry. The area around them had truly taken a thrashing and was now referred to as the outskirts of the town of Caro, although this place must have been full of life at one point.

“Not our problem. Come on, let’s go get our reward and go back to the guild hall. I need a drink.” Cana muttered as she started off towards the village square where the mayor eagerly awaited their return. Noah obediently followed, enticed by the idea of a cold beer.

As predicted, the mayor was in the same spot they left him in Caro Town Hall, overjoyed to hear of their success. However, when Cana tersely mentioned the lack of information regarding the mission’s difficulty – and the inaccurate pricing – the mayor’s face visibly fell in shame.

“Ah, I know I was wrong to mislead you, but you see, I had very little choice in the matter. My people are barely getting by as it is. They are scared. The children stay indoors at all hours of the day when they used to roam the streets in packs. When word started to get around that the lizardmen were in the outskirts… I had to do something. I knew Fairy Tail could handle it.” The mayor explained. Cana smiled at the man sadly before looking down at the ground, feeling guilty for even bringing it up.

Noah smiled crookedly at the old man, if only to show that they were not angry or resentful. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, as if he had been up for days. Noah stretched his arms and rested his hands behind his head before turning around and starting their long journey back towards the nearest train station. Cana sighed loudly and followed his lead.

“Don’t worry about it, old man. You did your job, and we did ours. If you ever need us again, you know where to find us.” Noah said as he walked away with Cana, giving the man a slight wave.

The old man was in utter disbelief. He knew the boy had earned his name partly because of his generosity, but surely he didn’t expect to not be rewarded at all?

“Wait, boy! Do you not want what we can give you? I know it isn’t much compared to what you’re probably used to, but–”

“I said don’t worry about it!” The brown haired boy said, cutting him off. He turned his head slightly to get a glimpse of the old man’s face, and flashed him a reassuring grin. The old man’s disbelief quickly turned to appreciation, and he returned the smile.

Once they had passed the entrance to the village, Cana groaned. “You know, I was expecting you to only take half of the reward, not refuse all of it! “The Knight in Shining Armor: most generous and genuine knight in Fiore”. Why did I think it was a good idea to team up with someone who carries that title again?” Cana exclaimed.

Noah laughed at his friend’s exaggerated misery. “We can just go on another job.” He suggested.

“What, so you can give away that reward too? How do you even pay rent?” Cana questioned, growing increasingly aggressive.

“I manage.”

“Well, I think I’ll stick with Loke from now on.”

“You wound me, Cana.” He joked, bringing his hand up over his heart dramatically.

“Not as much as those Lizardmen did.” She fired back. Noah pushed her teasingly, earning a laugh from one of his oldest friends.

* * *

 

 

Magnolia, Fiore.  

The beer really did hit the spot; as did the next one, and the next one, and the one after that. Being so close with Cana had made Noah something of an avid drinker over the years. He took a glimpse at his watch: not even 1 o’clock yet. Oh well.

After sipping the last of his fourth beer, he heard a familiar, booming voice from across the guild hall. “Salamander?! That must be Igneel! You’re sure?

“Yeah, I heard that Salamander’s gonna be in Hargeon, if he’s not already there. I just thought you would want to check it out.” A man with large buck teeth informed the boy.

“Thanks, man! We better get going, Happy!”

“Aye, sir!”      

A boy with cherry-blossom hair and his flying cat companion immediately burst through the guild hall doors. He was so excited that he hadn’t even realized that he had to take a train to get there and suffer through his extreme motion sickness yet. Noah sat up from his barstool and nodded to Mirajane in thanks before chasing after the boy.

He ran outside, but the boy was already quite a ways down the road. “Hey, Natsu, wait up!” Noah shouted.

Natsu and Happy turned around to face him, continuing to run in place.

“Mind if I tag along?” Noah asked as he reached his friends. “I’ve always wanted to see a dragon.”

Natsu grinned from ear to ear, overjoyed at the mention of his adoptive father once more. “You bet! Let’s get going!”

* * *

 

Hargeon, Fiore.

“Uh oh, there he goes…” said Happy, the tiny blue cat and Natsu’s greatest companion. Noah clasped his hands behind his head and sighed, annoyed, but also slightly amused as he watched the train take off with his friend once again.

“Well, I guess we should go get him then.” Noah replied.

“Aye.”

Elsewhere, a young, blonde celestial spirit mage was bargaining with the owner of a magic shop for the gate key of Canis Minor. This was the only magic shop she could find in the whole town, and she was _not_ leaving empty handed. It didn’t help that the old man was pricey and a bit stubborn.

“I’m sorry but how much was that again…?” The girl – known as Lucy – said with disdain.

“I said 20,000 jewel.” The shopkeeper replied.

Silence. Time to turn on the sex appeal.

“Aw come on, how much is it really worth? Surely you can cut me a deal?” The celestial spirit wizard asked seductively, adding a wink for good measure. In the end, the shopkeeper only knocked off 1,000 jewel, much to the girl’s chagrin. She stormed out of the shop, gate key in hand to explore the rest of Hargeon. She had come all this way, after all.

“That stubborn old geezer must be blind! That trick usually works…” Lucy mumbled to herself. The nearby screams of girls caught her attention. Two girls in particular that were passing by mentioned the name Salamander, and she was suddenly caught up in the excitement as well. A famous wizard in the same town she just happened to be visiting? She began to make her way over to the growing crowd to see the renowned mage from Fairy Tail – the same guild she one day hoped to join. This was her chance!

The girls that had formed the enormous crowd were swooning over the handsome man known as Salamander. He had dark purple hair and a small tattoo just above his eyebrow, and he really knew how to work a crowd. The girls were losing their minds just by being in the same proximity as the famous wizard, and the feeling was seemingly contagious as Lucy’s normal composure fell away almost instantly. Her heart was beating erratically, and the mere sight of the man she did not know was enough to make her feel as if she had fallen in love. So when he looked her in the eyes, Lucy was sure she was going to melt.

“Igneel, it’s me!” A voice suddenly shouted as a pink haired boy in a scarf forced his way through the crowd. He was followed by a blue cat with a green knapsack and a man with short mocha colored hair and a bandage over his ear. Almost instantly, the spell Lucy was under was completely shattered. One moment she was head over heels in love, and the next she was entirely well. The boys and their oddly colored cat stood staring at Salamander in apparent disappointment while the fan-girls awaited a response from the sudden outburst, truly a change in mood compared to moments ago.

“Who the heck are you?” The boy with the scarf asked.

Salamander was in utter disbelief. “Who am I? I am Salamander, surely you have heard of me before?”

But the wizard was now talking to no one, as the trio had already begun to head off. “Hey wait a minute!” Salamander shouted. The shout seemed to spring his followers in action, and now both of the men were being attacked by the fan girls. It was a truly comedic scene, especially since both boys were fairly well-built and the girls relentless.

“Salamander’s a great wizard! You better apologize to him or we’re gonna rip you to shreds!” One of the girls shouted as they pounded on the boy with the scarf and pink hair.

The brown haired boy wasn’t in any better shape. Three girls were on top of him and wrestling him to the ground. “Yeah, how dare you be so rude?” One girl said as she pulled at his spiked hair. Another repeatedly punched him as he lay helpless. The blue cat watched on.

“What the hell is wrong with you girls?” The man with the brown hair questioned as another girl wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Salamander called off his dogs and rewarded the men with an autograph, but the pink haired boy was quick to deny the gift. He was met with a punch to the face while the other man watched his friend get pummeled by the love-struck girls once more. He quickly accepted the autograph with a hesitant smile.

The famous wizard that had captivated everyone’s attention left soon after, but not before inviting everyone to a party on his yacht. A purple trail of fire was left behind as the wizard made a dramatic exit, leaving the girls wanting more.

“Who the heck was that guy?” The pink haired boy asked aloud.

“I don’t know, but he was a real creep.” Lucy replied. The boy in the scarf was still on the ground next to the blue cat, and the both looked up at her dubiously. Their friend came over holding the autograph.

“You guys think this is worth any…” The other man - massaging his injured ear - trailed off once he looked up from his new possession and saw that they now had company. The blonde haired mage waved shyly at them all once all attention was on her. Noah’s first thought was that the girl was extremely attractive.

“Thank you for your help.”

His second thought was that her voice sounded as sweet as honey.

* * *

 

“So Noah, Natsu, and Happy was it?” Lucy asked. Natsu continued to stuff his face full of the various foods this girl had so generously bought them from a nearby restaurant while Noah hummed a “yes” from the rim of his drink. She explained to them that Salamander was using a charm spell, a banned form of magic that was forcing the ladies in the town to think they were in love with him. Because they had barged in on him and his soiree, they had broken Lucy of the spell.

The girl continued to talk about herself, from her status as a mage to the entire guild organization. Eventually she started talking about wanting to join Fairy Tail, peaking Noah’s interest.

“You talk a lot.” Happy said, flatly. Noah had to force himself not to laugh, almost spitting out his drink. Natsu and Happy were some of his best friends, but manners and social norms were not exactly their strong suits. They always told it like it was, and while he admired that about them, it was also humorous at times.

The attempt at hiding his laughter didn’t go unheard by Lucy, but the statement did snap her out of her rant. “Oh man, I almost forgot, you guys came here trying to find somebody didn’t you?”

“We’re looking for Igneel!” Happy joyfully replied.

“We heard a rumor that a Salamander was gonna be coming through this town so we came here to see him. Turns out it was somebody else.” Natsu explained with his mouth full.

“Yeah that guy didn’t look like a salamander at all.” Happy stated.

“No kidding, I bet that poser can’t even breathe fire like a real dragon.” Natsu added.

These statements greatly confused the girl sitting next to Noah. It was a pretty outlandish story to tell a complete stranger.

“Uh, I don’t get it, your friend Igneel looks like a dragon?” Lucy questioned.

Noah quickly intervened. “It’s a bit of a strange situation. You see, Igneel doesn’t look like a dragon, he is one.”

Lucy looked completely dumbfounded, if not freaked out by Noah’s statement. “Aye! Igneel is a real life fire dragon!” Happy added.

“Why would a fire dragon show up in the middle of town?!” Lucy questioned hysterically. The trio went to explain, but quickly found that she was right and it was outright crazy.

“Maybe we didn’t think this through very well…” Noah said, running a hand through his hair and setting his hands behind his head.

“It’s totally ridiculous!” The blonde haired mage shouted, deliberately trying not to stare at the good-looking man sitting next to her or make eye contact with his endearing blue eyes. _He just had to flex his biceps…_ She then paid her bill before excusing herself.

“Well, I should get going. Enjoy the rest of your lunch and maybe I’ll see you guys around.” Lucy said as she began to make her way out of the restaurant.

However, Natsu and Happy took this moment to “properly” thank her for paying for their meal by getting down on their hands and knees and thanking her for the food.

“Cut it out! You’re embarrassing me!” Lucy exclaimed, looking to Noah for help. But the man was pushed as close to the wall of their booth as possible, sipping on his drink and pretending he was in no way associated with the strange boy and even stranger feline.

“Look, it’s cool; you guys helped me out earlier. So let’s just call it even!”

“I feel bad though 'cause we weren’t even tryin’ to help her…” Natsu murmured to Happy.

“Aye, we owe her something…” Happy agreed.

An idea from Natsu suddenly emerged. “Oh, I know!” He exclaimed happily. “Here, this is for you!” None other than Salamander’s autograph was Natsu’s brilliant idea. The boy offered it to her with a gigantic grin.

“No way!” Lucy yelled.

Noah suddenly jumped up from his seat, a fighting spark in his blue eyes now. “Natsu! I was gonna sell that for rent money!”

* * *

 

 

On-board Salamander’s Yacht

“You used magic to take advantage of others. You’re the worst wizard alive!” Lucy shouted at the man who had just thrown her gate keys into the sea. He was attempting to kidnap her and all the other women on board and take them to Bosco. Surely a wizard of Fairy Tail couldn’t be capable of something so horrible? Not the Fairy Tail she admired so much. And her keys…

Suddenly, a boy with pink hair came crashing through the ceiling. He was quickly followed by a handsome man who looked like he had just gone for a swim. The latter, however, opted to use the door, although he did kick it down.

“Hey, I know you guys!” Lucy cried, unreservedly relieved. Noah smiled at the mage he had just met hours before while Natsu gagged from his motion sickness.

“Don’t sound so relieved just yet.” Noah warned as he took in his surroundings. They were greatly outnumbered and he had no idea what magical capabilities these guys had. _Nothing we can’t handle,_ he smirked to himself. His adrenaline was beginning to flow just thinking about the fight that was about to start.

“Wait, why are you all wet? Did you swim here?!” Lucy questioned, studying her rescuer carefully. His hair was wet and matted to his forehead, and his clothes were completely soaked. Noah looked at her as if she was stupid.

“No, I ran.” Noah stated simply. The look of shock on Lucy’s face was priceless. Was this his attempt at being sarcastic?

Natsu seemed to be on the verge of vomiting as the ship slowly rocked back and forth. “I knew this was a bad idea…” He managed to mutter. Noah sighed, but smiled his easygoing smile nonetheless.

“Hey, what’re you doing here, Lucy?” A familiar blue cat asked from the hole in the ceiling Natsu had created moments before.

“Oh, Happy, this jerk tricked me! He said he was gonna get me into Fairy Tail! Hold up, since when do you have wings?” The men on the ship watched the two exchange words in disbelief.

“I’ll explain that later, okay?” Happy said before wrapping his tail around Lucy and flying off with her to safety.

Salamander sprang into action. “After them! We can’t let them report this to the magic council!” The mage yelled, commanding his men to take down the girl and her cat.

“Wait, what about Noah and Natsu?” Lucy asked Happy as they flew away, slightly confused. These three were saving her now? How would they defend themselves against a ship full of mages?   

“I can’t carry more than one person.” Happy stated. Salamander blasted several shots of purple flares at them, but Happy expertly dodged them all while Lucy screamed. The result was a spectacular fireworks display.

The men looked on at the retreating cat and girl when a voice demanded their attention.

            “Hey guys.” Noah said, holding up Natsu who was barely able to stand. He requipped into his Kaiser armor, boosting his strength and agility when around water. “You should be more worried about us.” Natsu was huffing loudly, trying to contain his nausea.

            “Well, one of us.” Noah quickly added, setting the boy down. A trident appeared when he held his arms out. As soon as the weapon hit his palms, he lunged forward towards the men, pummeling anyone within reach. They would pay for this terrible deed, and for doing it in the name of Fairy Tail. Noah would make sure of it.

* * *

 

           

“We got a problem, Lucy.” Happy stated.

“What do you mean? What problem?” Lucy responded hesitantly, and only slightly afraid.

“My transformations up.” Almost instantly, Happy's wings disappeared into thin air. 

And that was how Lucy ended up in the water in her brand new dress. But it was also the perfect opportunity to look for her gate keys. The water was freezing, but she hardly noticed as her focus was completely on finding her spirits. They were her most important possession and more importantly, they were her friends. It didn't take long. She found them quickly as if guided by some mysterious force. She had to help Noah and Natsu, and she had the perfect spirit to do so.

Once she surfaced, she prepared to summon one of her most powerful zodiac spirits. “Here we go.” She muttered, a look of determination spreading across her face.

“Open, gate of the water-bearer! Aquarius!” A beautiful mermaid suddenly appeared at Lucy’s command, holding a vase as a weapon. Her blue hair matched the ocean in which she had complete control.

“A fish!” Happy exclaimed with drool pooling at the corners of his mouth.

“Not for you.” Lucy quickly replied, slapping the feline out of his fantasy.

“That was awesome!” Happy stated seriously, impressed by the girl’s power.

“That’s the power of a celestial wizard. Whenever I use my gate keys, I can summon spirits from other worlds to help me.” Lucy bragged. But this was no time for bragging, she needed to help her new friends. “Listen up, Aquarius. I want you to use your power to push that ship back into the port.”

The summoned mermaid scoffed, obviously annoyed by her master’s commands.

“You’re supposed to come from the spirit world to help, not to give me attitude!” Lucy argued.

“I wouldn’t make her any angrier, Lucy…” Happy advised nervously.

Aquarius finally acknowledged her master. “Let’s get something straight. The next time you so much as think of dropping my key, you’re dead.” She warned, shooting Lucy a deadly glare.

“It won’t happen again!” Lucy answered, cowardly.

The celestial spirit began gathering the water into her vase for a violent assault. The sea that was once calm would soon become a vicious force of nature. Aquarius released the waves from her vase and summoned forth a raging whirlpool. The attack resulted in a colossal wave that forced the ship back to port, along with Lucy and Happy.

Back on shore, Lucy confronted her rebellious spirit. “What’s the big deal? You think you could’ve tried not to sweep me up with the ship?

“Oh, that was an accident. I didn’t mean to get the ship.” Aquarius responded innocently.

A crowd was beginning to form around the ship that was forced back to shore. Salamander’s plan was crumbling and he knew it as he looked around at the growing number of people, but Lucy saw no sign of Noah or Natsu. Perhaps they had fallen off the ship from her attack? She hadn’t exactly warned them…

Her questions were soon answered when she saw two figures emerge from on top of the beached yacht. Both looked down on the kidnappers menacingly and seemed to be ready for a fight.

“Noah! Natsu!” Lucy shouted, relieved she hadn’t accidently hurt the boys. She ran over to the crash site, but gasped when she saw their faces and stances. She could feel the magical power coming from the men. It was overwhelming powerful, and she shivered from the aura resonating from them. She had never felt such power before. Natsu’s face was of pure focus. Noah had a smug smirk playing on his mouth and he had changed his attire. A chest plate left him mostly shirtless with the exception of his right arm and the sash down the center of his abdomen. His right shoulder was fitted with massive spikes and his left arm was fitted with a metal armbrace while his legwear was nothing but a pair of long black shorts. The trident he was holding comfortably over his shoulder suddenly disappeared into thin air. Lucy couldn’t help but check out his chiseled body, even with the situation at hand.

“So you claim to be a member of the Fairy Tail guild?” Natsu spoke. Now that he was on land, his motion sickness was eliminated. It was truly a change compared to the mess he was not moments ago. Now… Lucy didn’t know what to expect from the boy she once thought to be harmless.

“So what’s it to you?” Salamander questioned. “Go get them men!”

Natsu removed his jacket and let it fall to the ground. “Let me get a closer look at your face.” The pink haired boy demanded. Salamander’s henchmen were closing in on the two boys.

“Watch out!” Lucy shouted.

“Don’t worry about them.” Happy stated, now holding a fish. “I probably should’ve told you earlier, but they’re wizards too.”

That explained the aura she was feeling, but she still was completely shocked by this turn of events. The boys she had met earlier were actually wizards, and powerful by the looks of it. As soon as the henchmen reached the two wizards, they were put down almost instantly. A single swipe of Natsu’s arm had rendered two men unconscious, while Noah expertly dodged a punch and knocked the air out of another.

“My name is Natsu; I’m a Fairy Tail wizard. And I’ve never seen you before!” Natsu exclaimed angrily.

“You’re gonna pay for using our guild’s name like this.” Noah added, his smirk now replaced with a scowl and his tone harsh.

With Natsu’s jacket gone and Noah’s left shoulder bare, she could see the emblems that marked them as official wizards. “You’ve gotta be kidding! So Natsu and Noah are Fairy Tail wizards?” Lucy exclaimed.

“That mark on their arms! These guys are the real deal, Bora!” One of the men cried to their boss, pointing up at the wizards.

“Don’t call me that you fool!” The man, Bora exclaimed.

“I know him, that’s Bora the Prominence. Rumor has it he was kicked out of the Titan Nose wizard guild a couple of years ago because of bad behavior.” Happy informed.

“I have no idea what you’re trying to do here, buddy and I don’t care if you’re a good guy, bad guy, or what. We’re not gonna let you dirty the Fairy Tail guild’s name.” Natsu explained as they both walked menacingly towards the imposter.

“And what’re you gonna do about it? Stop me? Prominence Typhoon!” Bora shouted, attacking with an onslaught of purple flames. The attack was a direct hit. 

“Noah! Natsu!” Lucy shouted, but as she went to help the boys that had rescued her twice now, Happy spread his wings to block her path as he looked into the flames.

While the crowd ran away in fear, Happy looked on with determination. She couldn’t be sure, but she felt a strong sense of loyalty and faith coming from the blue feline. He did not seem to be worried about the boys, and it helped ease her mind a bit.

“Agh, this is so gross! Are you sure that you’re really a fire wizard?” Natsu asked playfully as he fed on the purple flames. “‘Because these are the nastiest flames I’ve ever tasted!”

Lucy’s reaction was the same as Bora’s – complete and utter shock. This boy was actually eating fire! He slurped up the flames and patted his belly, supposedly full from his fiery meal.

“Thanks for the grub, poser.” The fire-eater said. Next to the pink haired boy, Noah disarmed his light shield. The barrier of light that sprang forth from his outstretched hand diminished as soon as Natsu gobbled up the rest of the flames.

“You're gonna need hotter flames than that, bud.” Noah replied, smugly.

“Fire magic doesn’t work on Natsu. And Noah’s requip magic combined with his light magic is undefeatable.” Happy added.

“I’ve never seen anything like that.” Lucy said. Judging by Bora’s reaction neither had he.

Natsu slammed his flaming fists together as Noah requipped into his casual clothes, and both mages began making their way towards Bora and his goons. “Now I’ve got a fire in belly that’s raging to get out.” The pink haired boy said.

“Let’s do it.” Noah replied with a smirk.

“Here it goes. Fire Dragon Roar!” Natsu shouted as he blew a blast of fire out of his mouth.

Noah brought both of his hands up in front of him. A bright energy began accumulating in his palms. “Rain of Light!” He shouted, several beams of light shooting out of his hands.

The result was an enormous explosion. Lucy was forced to cover her eyes from the dust and rubble that was being blown away. When she looked back up towards the battlefield, every single one of Bora’s goons was down for the count. Bora, on the other hand, had escaped the combination attack, and was floating above the battlefield using his purple flames.

“Hey Bora, I swear I’ve seen these guys before. The pink hair and the scaly-looking scarf… the amour and light magic combo… There’s no doubt about it. These are Fairy Tail mages. The real Salamander and the Light Warrior, Noah Luster, an S-Class Mage!” one of the downed henchmen offered.

“Natsu! Am I hearing this right? You’ve been Salamander this whole time?!” Noah exclaimed angrily.

If Natsu heard his friend, he showed no recognition of it. He was too focused on the battle. “I hope you guys are paying attention, ‘cause this what a Fairy Tail wizard can do! Here I come!” Natsu shouted as he gathered flames into his hands.

Bora wasn’t going down without a fight. Several balls of purple flames were shot at Natsu as he ran towards his opponent, but none hit. Natsu jumped up and hit Bora with his flaming fist, sending the creep flying.

“So he eats fire and then attacks with it? But how does he do it? Is it some kind of spell?” Lucy questioned. Noah, using his Speed of Light spell, suddenly appeared next to her and Happy, startling her. He smiled at Lucy sheepishly. 

“He has dragon lungs that allow him to breathe fire. Dragon scales to help him to dissolve the fire. And dragon claws for attacking with fire. ” Happy answered. “His brand of fire magic is one that allows his body to take on all the qualities of a dragon! It’s an ancient spell that’s rarely used anymore.”

“Seriously?” Lucy was in complete awe. She had never heard of this kind of magic before. She could only imagine the other types of magic that Fairy Tail wizards were capable of.

“This particular magic was originally used to deal with dragons.”

Just then, Bora fired a powerful beam of fire at Natsu. The beam sliced through the town but through the smoke and rubble, a grinning Natsu could be seen unharmed.

“It’s called dragon slayer magic. Igneel taught it to him.” Noah added. Lucy looked over to meet Noah’s eyes at this revelation. So Igneel was a dragon that taught Natsu dragon slayer magic and Natsu was searching for him. “He’s one of the strongest wizards I’ve ever met.” Noah added fondly, returning his gaze to the fight that was quickly destroying the town.

Bora shot an enormous ball of flame at Natsu, who easily stopped it and then consumed it. “Now that was a hefty meal! You’re not doin’ too bad, but I’m about to cook you like a smoked fish!”

“You’re gonna do what to me?!”

“Get ready! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!”

The boy’s flaming fist connected with Bora, sending him crashing through the town and into a church bell. The ringing bell indicated the end of the battle, with Natsu being victorious.

“Don’t be silly, Natsu. Everyone knows you smoke food with smoke, not fire.” Happy corrected.

“Man, how’d he end up having all the fun? Selfish bastard.” Noah mumbled.

“Oh wow, that was amazing. But he overdid it!” Lucy said, pointing out the complete destruction of the town.

Noah was suddenly uncharacteristically scared at this revelation. “Oh man! Master’s gonna kill us!” He exclaimed, looking around at the rubble that lay before them, as if he had just now noticed all of the destruction they had caused. The marching of footsteps could be heard getting closer as well, only adding more panic to the handsome boy.

“The army?!” exclaimed Lucy.

“We gotta get outta here! Natsu, let’s go!” Noah yelled, pulling Lucy along with him. Natsu was already right on their heels.

“Where are you taking me?!”

“You said you wanted to join the Fairy Tail guild, didn’t you?” Noah asked, looking back at her with a welcoming smile. Her heart stopped when she figured out what he was implying. Natsu grinned at her as well.

“Yeah, you said you wanted to join. So let’s go!” Natsu added happily.

Lucy couldn’t contain her grin either. These two had just destroyed a town and had the army on their heels, but she had never felt more content than in that moment. The prospect of joining the world famous guild she had always admired was enough to make her forget about all of that.

“Alright!” Lucy replied cheerfully as the group retreated.

“I’m not taking the blame for this though, Natsu! You really went overboard this time!” Noah yelled angrily at the pink-haired boy, who waved him off. Lucy didn’t know what lied ahead, but she was beyond excited to find out. She tightened her hold on Noah’s hand and let herself be dragged away to an uncertain but welcome future.


	2. Fairy Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noah, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy return to Magnolia. Lucy learns more about her new friends and the crew goes on their first informal job together.

The train ride from Hargeon to Magnolia gave Lucy and Noah plenty of time to talk. She fired question after question at him about the guild and its members. Sorcerer Weekly kept tabs on Fairy Tail frequently, and all of Lucy’s information thus far had come from them. She realized later that she had read about Noah in Sorcerer Weekly, but only knew him by his much more famous nicknames. “The Knight in Shining Armor”, “Holy Knight”, “The Light Warrior”, were more popular among others. He had also been featured on some of the most eligible bachelor lists, although he seemed to avoid the photo shoots.

But now she had the real deal in front of her – an actual S-Class Wizard from Fairy Tail – and she was eager to know everything about the guild she had read so much about straight from the source.

 “What’s the master like? Will Mirajane be there? Do you go on lots of cool jobs?” Lucy asked, impatiently. Noah chuckled, amused and a little overwhelmed.

“Uhm, well, the master’s a little intimidating sometimes, but he loves the guild and its members more than anything. Mira will probably be there, she’s the head waitress for the guild. And yeah, we get a lot of different job offers at Fairy Tail so I get to travel a lot.” Noah explained, reaching up to scratch behind his neck. A snore next to him alerted them that Happy had fallen asleep. Natsu, meanwhile, had gone to the bathroom and had yet to return. She had offered to go check on him, but Noah informed her that this was normal of him.

“Is there an application I have to fill out, or an interview?” The girl asked.

Noah’s brows furrowed thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. Master just brought me to the guild and gave me my emblem. A lot of us joined when we were kids.”

Lucy put her face in her hands, setting her elbows on her knees and leaning forward eagerly. “How’d you end up joining the guild? How long have you been there? Do you love it?”

Noah smirked. “Yeah, I love it there. I joined when I was eight. Makarov took me in and helped me train my magic.” He replied, somewhat vaguely. “So, you’re a celestial spirit mage? Not many of those around...” Noah added, redirecting the attention back to Lucy.

“Mhm, my mother was one as well.” Lucy announced proudly, noticing the conversation shift. It was then that Natsu came back from the bathroom, looking sickly and just overall miserable.

“Some man kicked me out… I hate trains.” Natsu declared, sitting back down next to Lucy and slouching forward.

Noah looked outside the window at the passing landscape, then down at his watch. “We should be home pretty soon.” He looked up and made eye contact with Lucy, making her panic. _Oh god, he caught me staring._

He flashed her a crooked smirk before asking, “Have you ever been to Magnolia?”

A faint blush darkened her cheeks at the boy’s smile. It was quite obvious that Noah was absurdly handsome. His eyes were a light blue that were patient and easy-going. His jawline was sharp and was covered in stubble from missing a day of shaving. He was well-built with strong arms, broad shoulders, and a toned, muscular frame. His dark, brown hair was tapered on the sides and on the back, but the top was kept longer and spiked in the front. It was a basic hairstyle, but Noah pulled it off nicely. And _his smile._ It was no wonder he was a top-ranking bachelor in Sorcerer Weekly. She had skimmed a copy on the train and sighed when she saw his face on one of the first pages, sporting his famous scowl. How had she not recognized him?

“Yes, when I was younger. It’s been a long time though.” Lucy replied, looking away from the boy’s patient eyes, only to find herself looking into them again a few seconds later.

“It’s a nice town. Out of everywhere I’ve been Magnolia is still my favorite.” Noah explained. A flicker in his eyes arose as he talked about his hometown. Even if he hadn’t stated his love for the town, the fact was evident in his eyes and tone.

About half an hour later, the train finally arrived in Magnolia. Natsu practically crawled his way off the train. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, he was as good as new. Almost instantly, Natsu came back to his old self. Lucy and Noah, carrying a sleeping Happy, followed behind him.

“Wow, your motion sickness is seriously bad isn’t it?” Lucy questioned.

“Aye,” A sleepy voice said from Noah’s arms, “Natsu can’t handle any modes of transportation.” The blue cat yawned and jumped down from Noah’s arms.

“It’s true. The guy’s a wreck on trains and boats but get him on the ground and he’s good to go.” Noah added.

“Stop talking about it, it’s gonna make me sick again.” Natsu warned, cheeks puffing out and nausea overtaking him once more.

As they made their way to the guild hall, Lucy took the time to take in her surroundings as they reached the heart of the town. Various shops lined the streets on either side of them and people were everywhere. The occasional wagon would pass buy full of different goods, and she could hear people bargaining with the owners of the stalls. Magnolia was known as a merchant town, and the fact was quite obvious as she roamed the streets with her new friends. Happy flew above them, a smile much like Noah and Natsu’s plastered on his face. Lucy found herself smiling as well. The atmosphere was joyful, lively, and exciting.

They passed by numerous magic shops, which Lucy excitedly pointed out. While most towns only had a handful, Magnolia had dozens. All different kinds of tradeable magic were advertised in front of the shops. She watched as kids outside of one shop in particular were using a ring that could change hair color. The young kids laughed as one boy changed his hair color to match Natsu’s. Soon, they were walking alongside one of the city’s many canals, Natsu and Noah playfully pushing each other towards the water. Noah was forced to summon a light shield beneath his feet after a particularly hard shove from Natsu that just barely saved him from going into the canal. Natsu laughed loudly before Noah retaliated by punching his shoulder. They boys waved and called out to the townsfolk they knew while Lucy hummed contently; she had already fallen in love with this town.

When they finally reached the guild hall, Lucy smiled up at the large logo that branded the building. The most powerful guild in Fiore – Fairy Tail. She had seen the power of their mages firsthand, and now she was here. She had no idea what awaited her on the other side of the double doors, but a multitude of magical presences could be felt. The air hummed with the magical energy that surrounded the guild.

“Welcome to Fairy Tail.” Happy said cheerfully.

Natsu suddenly and unceremoniously kicked the doors in, announcing his presence to the entire guild hall. “We made it back alive!” He shouted. Noah shook his head, but was smiling good-naturedly while Happy jumped up excitedly.

“We’re home!” The cat announced. The guild was bustling with conversation and laughter. Most greeted the boys, others continued drinking and talking, seemingly un-phased by Natsu’s dramatic entrance.

One man in particular acknowledged the boys directly. “So I heard you guys went all out in Hargeon. Had to go starting trouble—” A man with large buck teeth began, but was unable to finish as Natsu’s foot connected with his face. He crashed into a table, breaking it into pieces.

“Why did you do that?!” Lucy exclaimed, distraught. Noah only laughed, hunched over with his hands on his knees.

“You lied about that Salamander, I’m gonna kick your butt!” Natsu shouted angrily, fists raised.

The man sat up among the remains of the table and shouted back after the sudden onslaught. “Don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one to blame here! I was just passing along a rumor I heard!”

“It was just a rumor?!” Natsu barked.

“You want to fight?”

“Let’s go!” The two men clashed and all hell was set loose. Noah expertly dodged a flying beer mug while Lucy watched, completely dumbfounded at the turn of events.

“Now, now Natsu, I think you need to calm—” Happy started, but was hit by an airborne body. The cat went flying, and suddenly, the entire guild hall had erupted into an all-out fight. Amongst the chaos, it dawned on Lucy that she was actually in the Fairy Tail guild hall. She took a moment to admire the fact as the fights continued to escalate around her.

“So Natsu finally made it back, huh?” A shirtless man with long black hair yelled, seemingly eager to join the brawl.

“Gray, your clothes.” A girl sitting at the bar pointed out. Long brown hair cascaded down her back, and her revealing clothing showed off her curves and emblem on her hip. She sipped on a glass of wine as she watched the brawl.

“I don’t have time for that!” The man – Gray – yelled back to her.

“Yo, Cana, started without me again I see? You know it’s only noon, right?” Noah said to the stunning girl at the bar, a smile playing on his mouth. Cana only smirked.

“You were taking too long.” She countered, waving him off. Lucy’s jaw dropped as she began guzzling a large barrel of alcohol. Noah noticed her reaction and laughed heartily.

“That’s Cana. She’s the guild’s heaviest drinker. Don’t’ worry, that’s not even enough to get her buzzed.” He informed her.

“It’s only noon and you boys are already whining like spoiled babies!” A brawny looking man with white hair shouted amongst the commotion. Natsu and Gray simultaneously punched him in the face, sending him flying.

Noah watched the man go flying. “Well, that was Elfman, Mira’s younger brother.”

“Geez, it’s so noisy around here, huh?” A voice as smooth as silk said. The source was a handsome man with glasses and orange hair. Two women clung to his sides, completely enamored with him. The man – Loke, also one of Sorcerer Weekly’s top bachelors, according to the latest issue Lucy had read on the train – was struck with a beer mug. Noah burst out laughing once more, tears in his eyes, before he too was sucked into the brawl. He stopped a punch with his bare hand before delivering his own blow, not even sure who he was striking at this point. A grin was still plastered on his face, for reasons Lucy could not fathom.

Loke maintained his cool, smooth appearance despite the embarrassing setback. “I’m gonna go fight, but only to protect you two.” He told the women, coolly. The girls swooned, causing Lucy to roll her eyes.

“Oh yeah? Who’s gonna protect you, Loke?” Noah shouted before a fist connected with his cheek.

“What the heck is wrong with these people? There’s not one sane person in the whole place!” Lucy exclaimed.

“Hello!” A soft voice spoke. “Are you new here?” Lucy turned to find the source of the voice and was completely star struck. A beautiful white haired woman with her bangs pulled up into a tiny ponytail. She was wearing a long red dress with a pink bow attached to the chest and was carrying a tray of beers. Her eyes were as blue and patient as Noah’s, although hers were slightly darker.

“Uhm, don’t you think we should try to stop them or something?” Lucy asked after composing herself, pointing towards the brawl. 

“Oh it’s always like this around here I just leave them alone.” Mirajane replied kindly. “Besides—” suddenly, the bikini model and barmaid was struck down by the brute of a man that Noah informed her was her brother. “It’s kinda fun this way don’t you think?” Mirajane managed to get out under the weight of the man before seemingly passing out. Lucy was sent into a panic and was about to rush to her side before a body collided with her own. Natsu had taken Gray’s trunks, and a naked Gray now stood before her, to her dismay.

“Give me back my underwear, jerk!” The black haired mage shouted as Natsu twirled them around teasingly. He soon noticed his audience with Lucy and proceeded to ask her if he could borrow her underwear. Lucy immediately hit him with a nearby object, but was then swept off her feet by Loke.

“These guys are all so insensitive, a woman has needs—” the bachelor began, was punched into the air by the white-haired brute that had collided with Mirajane just moments before. Natsu then joined in by kicking the man across the guild hall, followed by Noah who sucker punched the pink-haired boy. “That’s for almost pushing me into the canal, Natsu!”

“That’s enough you guys. I suggest that you knock it off.” Cana threatened, holding up a card with magical properties.

“Oh yeah, says who?” Gray fired back, a cold magic circle encompassing his hand.

Elfman merely roared and transformed his entire arm to rock while Loke activated his ring magic. “You punks can be such a nuisance.” The bachelor stated, coolly.

“I’m ready for ya!” Natsu said as he brought forth fire in both of his hands menacingly, now recovered from Noah’s punch.

Before she knew it, a tense atmosphere had taken over the chaos of the brawl. Everyone was getting serious now as they displayed their magical abilities, including Noah who was playfully bouncing a ball of light in his hand, a fighting spark returning to his eyes and a smile from ear to ear still glued to his face. _They’re gonna destroy the guild!_ _And I haven’t even gotten to actually join yet…_ Lucy thought to herself.

However, before anyone could do any serious damage, the gigantic and beast-like master entered and put an end to the brawl, silencing everyone who was zealous to fight not moments before. Natsu began to brag, claiming victory, and the master stomped his enlarged foot down on top of him to silence him.

Lucy almost fainted as the beast’s attention was turned towards her. “Well, seems we have a new recruit!”

“Yes sir…!” Lucy replied nervously. The beast then shrunk down to his normal, tiny size. She was completely dumbstruck as she looked down at the little old man. _Titan magic? Wow…_

“Allow me to introduce you to the Fairy Tail master, Makarov!” Mirajane said enthusiastically.

Before Lucy could properly introduce herself, the master then jumped onto the balcony to address the guild. He lectured the guild mates about the pile of complaints from the higher-ups. The complaints ranged from property damage to charging the magic council for alcohol. Lucy caught Noah deliberately glance at Cana at the last statement. She smiled deviously at the assumption, causing Noah to scoff but smile as well. _Was there something between those two?_ Lucy wondered.

To everyone’s surprise, the master then lit the papers on fire and fed them to Natsu. “I say to heck with the magic council! The old man said.

“Now listen up. Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Magic isn’t some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul!” Lucy shivered, not being able to help but get chills from the master’s words.

“If all we worry about is following rules then our magic will never progress! Don’t let those blowhards on the council scare you! Follow the path you believe in! Cause that’s what makes the Fairy Tail guild number one!” the master finished, and Lucy could not contain her grin. The guild erupted into cheers and laughter. Lucy looked over to Noah to gauge his reaction and found him smiling at her. She felt herself redden and turned away from the boy quickly.

Later, after the guild hall settled down, Noah and Mirajane helped Lucy get her emblem. It was pink and displayed proudly on her left hand. “Looks good!” Noah remarked.

“There, now you’re an official member of the Fairy Tail guild.” Mirajane stated.

“Welcome to the guild!” Noah said. He reached up to scratch behind his neck and rubbed nervously. “You know, officially…” Lucy giggled, but could no longer contain her excitement. She ran over to show Natsu, who was too busy looking at the request board to even notice her, even calling her the wrong name. Noah whacked him over the head before looking at the board as well.

While they looked for a job, an argument could be heard nearby.  A young boy named Romeo was confronting the master about his father’s whereabouts. He had been gone for some time now, and the boy was growing progressively more worried. Makarov told the boy to leave it be; that his father could handle himself, causing the young, dark haired boy to throw a punch and strike the master in the face. Lucy pitied the boy, and before she knew it, Noah had shoved his hands into his pockets and exited the guild, followed by an angry Natsu who punched a hole in the request board. It seemed the boys decided to take matters into their own hands and were headed to Mt. Hakobe, Macao’s last known whereabouts.

Lucy couldn’t understand why the boys had gotten so upset. It was truly sad that the boy was so stressed over his father’s safety, but no one else had reacted so strongly and generally believed in the Master’s advice. Noah had not said a word to Natsu, both had just understood the other. When she asked Mirajane about the boy’s questionable reactions, she got a tentative explanation that the barmaid seemed reluctant, no, _saddened,_ to give.

“I think they see themselves in Romeo. Just because we’re members of Fairy Tail, it doesn’t mean we don’t have our own personal issues. We’ve all had our own fair share of suffering and loss.” Mirajane explained, and Lucy wondered if she was speaking from experience.

Mirajane began restocking the bar as she explained further. “Many years ago, Natsu’s father left and never came back. Well, technically it wasn’t his real father, but the one who raised him. He was actually a dragon. When he was a little boy, a dragon found him wandering the forest. He took him in and taught him all about language, culture, and magic. But one day, the dragon disappeared and never returned. Natsu lives for the day that he will finally see Igneel again.”

“Natsu and Noah actually have much more in common than you think.” She continued. “Noah’s father also left when he was very young, though Noah was never sure why or for what. His mother died soon after. He had no other family, and his father had yet to return from his mysterious journey. Master Makarov took him in when he caught him trying to pickpocket him.” Mirajane said, despondently.  “As a kid he would say he would become S-Class and take as many jobs as he could so he could travel all over the world and search for his father. It’s kinda cute, don’t ya think?” She finished, a smile in her voice. Lucy’s heart dropped listening to the suffering her new friends had gone through, but a certain pride or fondness in them that did not exist before coursed through her veins as she walked out of the guild to go on her first, somewhat informal, job.

 

* * *

 

Flashback

Magnolia, Fiore Year X777

_“Wait, you’re saying your dad’s a dragon?! That’s so cool!” A young Noah roared._

_Noah had been in the guild for almost 4 years now. He had still yet to receive word from his father. He was 12 now, and was starting to understand what the lack of communication truly meant. Childish expectations aside – it appeared his father wasn’t coming back._

_But a new boy had just shown up at the guild a few days ago. Master had found him wandering around in the nearby forest.  He too, had lost his father._

_“Yeah… he’s a fire dragon. His name’s Igneel.” The boy said, smiling sadly and pulling at his scarf. “He gave me this…”_

_Noah studied the boy closely. This is how he was when he had first lost his mother. He had waited days in his old house for his father, insisting to himself and his concerned neighbors that he would only be a few more days. When it became clear that no one was coming back for him, he had left. Some nights he would go back for a place to sleep, but most nights it was too much to bear. A child should never have to go home to an empty, dusty house. He truly felt for this boy._

_“My dad… is also gone.” Noah replied. “He just… left.” They boy looked up at him then, but Noah refused to meet his eyes. He did not want his pity. Or perhaps he did? Why else would he say such things?_

_“So, we can look for our dads together then. My name’s Natsu!” The boy replied enthusiastically, giving him a slight wave. Noah looked up at him, slightly confused._

_“I… don’t think he’s –” Noah began. Natsu quickly cut him off._

_“You won’t know until you look.” Natsu stated simply. Noah’s first thought was that the boy was naïve. His father had been gone for four years now. Either he was dead, or he had abandoned Noah and his mother. That’s all there was to it._

_But the determination in the boy’s eyes had shown him a new perspective._

_That he couldn’t give up just because things looked bad._

_That his friends would always be there to help._

_To keep fighting, like his father had taught him._

_And to think, he had just met this boy._

_“I’m Noah.”_

* * *

 

Mt. Hakobe

“Hey you big ape, where’s Mac –” Natsu shouted as he ran in to the Vulcan’s cave, slipping on the ice that covered the ground. Lucy, covered in Natsu’s blanket, was sitting defenseless in the middle of the ice rink in front of the Vulcan who had kidnapped her. Natsu then attempted to talk to the Vulcan, who seemed to be capable of speaking their language, but was tricked and thrown out of the cave and into the blizzard. Noah sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Noah was about to requip and take out this Vulcan, but stopped when he realized that Lucy was about to summon a celestial spirit. Curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t deny he wanted to see what Lucy was made of.

“Open, gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!” The newest edition of Fairy Tail shouted. A giant, muscular bull with a double sided ax appeared from the Celestial Spirit World at the call of his contractor. Noah could sense the power from the other-worldly being almost immediately.

“Damn… not bad, Lucy.” Noah muttered.

“I should warn you monkey-boy; Taurus is the most powerful celestial spirit that I have a contract with.” Lucy threatened. The bull then began nonchalantly flirting with Lucy, much to the girl’s dismay, although Noah couldn’t help but laugh.

“First the monkey and now the bull? You really get around.” Noah teased.

“Shut up!”

Taurus then began his assault on the perverted monkey. If Noah were to judge by looks, Taurus was guaranteed to win. His opening move demolished the ground and a seismic wave of rock and pressure made its way towards the Vulcan. They did not count on the creature being so quick on its feet as he moved in to attack.

“He’s fast!” Lucy gasped. Noah reflexively moved into action.

“Speed of Light!” the light mage shouted, turning into a bright blur and racing to defend Taurus.

“Hi-yah!” a voice shouted. Noah stopped dead in his tracks as the spirit he set out to defend was pummeled by a pink-haired boy.

The hit left Taurus effectively knocked out. “Hey, so how come there are more monsters now than when I left?” the clueless Natsu questioned. Noah chuckled while Lucy angrily explained to Natsu that it was one of her spirits he had taken down. Not a small feat by any means, all things considering. Noah found himself smiling while his two friends bickered, despite everything. _Natsu does know how to keep things interesting, that’s for sure._

Angered at being ignored, the Vulcan sprung back into action, slamming his fist down onto Natsu. He blocked the attack, but was then hit backwards with incredible momentum.

“You listen up. I consider everyone in the Fairy Tail guild my friend. Whether its Gramps and Mira or even those annoying jerks Gray and Elfman… Noah, Happy and Lucy too. They’re all my friends.” Natsu explained.

A magic circle appeared underneath the boy, and flames began circling around him. Noah could feel the magic resonating from him. It surprised him every time. It was incredible how quickly Natsu could go from good-natured to dead serious, and his magic power was no exception. The aura Noah sensed from him in this moment was the same powerful aura he had sensed from Natsu in the past. He was getting fired up.

“Which is why… I’m not leaving without Macao!” Natsu shouted, punching the Vulcan with a flaming fist. The fist seemingly erupted and the Vulcan was blasted back into the ice, causing icicles to crash down from the ceiling of the cavern.

The Vulcan retaliated, blasting the shards of ice towards Natsu. Natsu merely took the blows, claiming the ice had no effect on fire. After all, this wasn’t Gray’s ice we were talking about.

It wasn’t until the steam had faded away that it was clear what the Vulcan was truly after: Taurus’s ax.

“That’s not good.” Natsu muttered. The Vulcan swung mercilessly at Natsu, who dodged every attack… until he slipped on the ice. Noah decided to step in.

“Requip!” He requipped into what he had come to simply call his Luster Armor as he dashed into the battle. Not only was it the same style and brand as his father’s, it was comfortable and lightweight, but also provided protection in the vital areas. He also brought forth one of his larger swords to combat the giant ax made for the massive celestial spirit: Pathbreaker.

The two weapons clashed with a metallic ring. Noah stood in front of Natsu, who grumbled underneath him. “I had that, man!”

Noah lips curled into a smile through gritted teeth as the Vulcan pushed down with more force. “I know, but I can’t let you have all the fun this time, buddy.”

Lucy begged the knocked-out Taurus to go back through his gate so his ax would disappear as well, but the point was mute. The spirit wasn’t waking up anytime soon, although Noah suspected Lucy could force the gate shut. _Where’s the fun in that?_

“You tried to hurt my friends… Macao is missing. And Romeo…” Noah muttered. “This is for Romeo!” Noah shouted as he used all his strength to push the Vulcan back. The creature stumbled as he tried to regain his balance with the large weapon he had taken.

“Speed of Light!”.

He could see everything in slow motion. Natsu was starting to get up, Lucy was turning to see what was going on in the battle, and Happy was watching from the sidelines. He saw everything as he slid to the rear of the creature.

He sent his Pathbreaker back and brought his hands up, palms facing outward, towards the enemy. He channeled his magic energy to the center of his palms in preparation for his spell.

“Lux Uragano!” A torpedo of light, spiraling out of control, hit the Vulcan directly in the back and sent him flying. In slow motion, the spirals were dream-like, but only Noah could see the true beauty of his light in that moment.

Coming out of his Speed of Light spell, he realized that Natsu had not taken kindly to his previous words. The Vulcan was in midair when Natsu decided to get a piece of the action as well.

“Iron Dragon Iron Fist!” Natsu shouted, hitting the Vulcan and sending him back in Noah’s direction. The creature hit the ice wall with such incredible force the whole mountain shook.

“We beat him!” Happy exclaimed.

“Yeah, but… wasn’t this monkey supposed to tell us where your friend is?” Lucy explained hesitantly.

Noah and Natsu looked at each other. “Shit…”

“Oh yeah, forgot about that.”

“Well, I don’t think he’s gonna do much talking.” Lucy said.

Suddenly the Vulcan started to glow and transform. A powerful wind blew their hair back as the Vulcan changed into its true form.

“What in the heck was that?” Natsu asked aloud, which was followed by a gasp.

Their friend Macao laid in front of them, beat up and crumpled against the wall of ice.

“Macao?!” Natsu and Noah exclaimed.

“Are you telling me that big, perverted monkey was actually your friend this whole time?!” Lucy shouted, hysterically.

“Yeah, he must’ve been taken over by that Vulcan.” Happy explained. “It must’ve used a possession spell on him. You see, Vulcan’s survive by stealing people’s bodies and taking them over. They’re evil body snatchers!”

They laid the injured Macao out on Natsu’s blanket to examine him.

“Looks like he put up a good fight before that Vulcan got a hold of him.” Noah commented.

“Macao! Don’t you die on me! Romeo’s waiting for you! Open your eyes!” Natsu shouted. The shouting seemed to stir the man, as he opened his eyes almost immediately.

“Natsu? Noah?”

“You’re okay!” the boys shouted.

 “I’m so pathetic… I defeated nineteen of those brutes, but the twentieth… that’s the one that got me. I’m so angry with myself. I’m embarrassed to go home and face Romeo.”

“Macao, you can’t be serious. It took all of us to take down just one of those things!” Noah offered.

“Yeah, you beat nineteen monsters!” Natsu added, offering his hand to the injured mage. “Now let’s go home, your little boy’s been waitin’ for ya.” Macao smirked and accepted the outstretched hand.

Together, they all returned home to the guild, where Romeo readily awaited the return of his father. Noah and Natsu carried the father down the path, only to have him pummeled by his son.

They let the father and son have their moment together and began to walk home, but not before Romeo shouted his thanks to the mages who saved his father.

“Natsu! Noah! Happy! Thanks for your help!”

“No prob, kiddo.” Natsu responded. Noah gave the boy a wave, and Happy shouted his signature “aye”.

“Lucy! Thanks for helping them bring my daddy back to me!” Noah looked over at the new recruit, catching the blush on her face as she grinned from ear to ear. The grin was contagious. He remembered his first job clearly. It was one of the most satisfying feelings in existence: helping others. There was nothing like it. He saw it clear as day on Lucy’s face. She felt it too.

The blonde-haired mage turned to face the family to give them a cheery grin and wave as well. That grin remained plastered on her face until they reached the guild hall.


End file.
